Car-coupling.



110,800,063. PATENTED SBPT.19,1905.

. .BOTKIN.

G OUPLING.

I) 4% g 4L omen STATES PATENT OFFICE.

QHARLES'B. BOTKIN, or OSAGE, KANSAS. CARI-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Sept. 19, lacs.

Application filed October 6, 1904:. Serial No. 227,381.

. ments in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to car-couplers, more particularly car-couplers ofthe Master Gar- Builders type; and it contemplates the provision of anautomatic coupler which is reliable in operation under all conditionsand yet is simple and inexpensive in construction and is well adapted towithstand the rough usage to which car-couplers are ordinarilysubjected.

The invention will befully understood from the following description andclaim,,whentaken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe coupler constituting the present and preferred embodiment of myinvention as the same appears when ready to be connected to acomplementary coupler without the necessity of a trainman remainingbetween the cars. a vertical section taken through the longitudinalcenter of the coupler and illustrating the parts in the same relativepositions as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustratingthe parts in the positions they assume when the coupler is engaged byacomplementary coupler. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the couplerwith some parts in elevation and illustrating the latch on the arm ofthe knuckle. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section taken in adiagonalplane and illustrating the relative arrangement of the latch-body andthe arm of the knuckle when said parts are in the positions shown inFigs. 1 and 2. g

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the-views of thedrawings, referring to which A is the draw-head of the coupler. Inaddition to the usual 'mouth a, the flange bat one side of said mouth,and the apertured lugs 0 at the opposite side thereof the said draw headis provided with a chamber d, preferably of angular form in horizontalsection, communicating with and extending upwardly from the mouth a, anda vertical bore e, extending from the top of said chamber to the upperside of the draw-head.

Fig. 2 is B is a vertical rectilinearly-movable gravitating latch. Thislatch comprises a body f, shaped .in cross-section in conformity to andarranged in the chamber (Z of the draw-head, and a stem g, suitablyconnected to the body f and extending upwardly therefrom through thebore a of the draw-head. The latch may be raised either by a trainmanapplying his hand to its stem g or through the medium of suitablemechanism connected to'said stem g, as desired, withoutinvolvingadeparture from the scope of my invention.

0 is a knuckle having the usual reduced portion it interposed betweenthe lugs 0 of the draw head A and connected to said lugs through themedium of a pintle i. The said knuckle is also provided with aninwardlyextending arm j, which is designed to swing inwardly andou-twardlyin the mouth a of the draw-head. This arm j has the upper sideof its free portion inclined or pitched rearwardly and downwardly in thedirection of the width thereof, as indicated by D and best shown in Fig.5, for an important purpose hereinafter set forth.

In the practical use of my invention, when the coupler is to beconnected to a complementary coupler, the latch B and the knuckle O arerelatively arranged, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5@'. 6., the latch isarranged with its body f resting on the'rear portion of the inclinedupper side D of the knuckle-arm j. From this it follows that when thearm 7' is swung rearwardly by the impingement of the knuckle of acomplementary coupler the 'inclined upper side D of the knuckle-arm jwill by acting against the lower end of the latchbody f first raise thelatch, and then after the arm j passes the latch-body the latch willdrop, so that its said body will rest in the position shown in Fig. 3 tohold the knuckle against casual'opening. Topermit the knuckle C to swingopen and become disconnected from the knuckle of another coupler, it issimply necessary to raise the latch B through the medium of its stem g.

The inclined upper side D of the knucklearm j, which operates, to raisethelatch B precedent to the passage of said arm from below thelatch-body f, will be appreciated as an important feature of myinvention when it is remembered that in winter ice is liable to gatheron the stem g of the latch and in the bore 6 of the draw-head and fastenthe latch against downward movement. The positive raising of the latchby the inclined upper side D of the knuckle-arm will effectually releasethe latch from any ice that may gather on or in the coupler, and hencethe latch will always fall after the knuckle-arm has passed from belowit and assure the proper locking of the knuckle in its closed position.

As will be readily apparent, the body f lends weight to the latch B, soas to assure the quick descent of the latter when released and at thesame time places the strain due to the pull on the knuckle (J on a largeportion of the draw-head. The distribution of this strain is also due inpart to the fact that in its lower position the latch-bodyf rests inaseat m in the bottom wall of the mouth a.

It will be gathered from the foregoing that my novel coupler is at oncesimple and inexpensive in construction, reliable in operation, andcalculated to withstand the roughest usage.

While I have described the present embodiment of my invention with thegreatest detail in order to impart a definite understanding of saidembodiment, I desire it understood that such changes or modificationsmay be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my inventionas claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In the car-coupler described, the combination of a draw-head having amouth, a llange at one side of said mouth and apertured lugs at theopposite side thereof and also having a seat m in the bottom wall of themouth, a chamber communicating with and extending upwardly from themouth, and a reduced, vertical bore extending from the chamber to itstop, a vertical, reetilinearly-movable gravitating latch comprising abody disposed in the chamber of the draw-head and a stem extendingupwardly through the vertical bore thereof, and a knuckle pivotedbetween the lugs of the draw-head and having an arm arranged, when theknuckle is open, to rest under the body of and support the gravitatinglatch; the upper side D of the free portion of said knuckle-arm beinginclined downwardly and rearwardly in the direction of its width, forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. BO'IKIN.

Witnesses:

HARRY T. JoNEs, HENRY J. Gnoss.

